The Messenger
by Rachynn
Summary: Hiatus/AU - It's my job to notify the family when someone died. Or atleast it used to be. You may call me Kikyo.
1. Red

**The Messenger  
****Chapter One**  
**By: Rachynn**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha.

The reaction.

That was the part of the job that she hated.

Although, over the years she had perfected the art of predicting what sort reaction the subject would give her when she told them her news.

It would be one of two kinds: immediate, or delayed.

The immediate reaction was the least harmful. The subject in question would immediately show some kind of emotion, most commonly grief, but there was that occasional appearance of anger or, more rarely, joy. When the subject reacted immediately, you knew that they would be all right in the long run. They would be affected, most definitely, but ultimately it would cause no harm to the subject itself or any bystanders. The close friends, the parents and the honest subjects almost ALWAYS had an immediate reaction.

The delayed reaction was slightly trickier. It could take minutes, hours, days, sometimes even years for her news to sink in. When it did, then the heads began to roll. Those that experienced a delayed reaction would go about in a trance-like state, trying to convince them and everyone around them that everything was fine; life would go on, they could hold it together. Unfortunately that was not the case. Eventually, the subject would break down in some way. When the reality of the situation sunk in, the subject would react in an often unpredictable way. It was the lovers, the children or the guilty ones who were most likely to suffer a delayed reaction.

Luckily, with the delayed reaction, she rarely had to stick around long enough to deal with the effects.

The second part of the reaction would be how the subject saw HER after she had delivered the news.

It was a given, none of the subjects liked her. How could they after what she had to tell them? Sometimes, they would give her creepy looks that sent ice running through her veins. Sometimes, they would quietly ask her to leave. More often then not, they would shout at her, try and throw things at her, and deny her claim.

It was the having stuff thrown at you and the spitting and the hurtful words that she hated the most. It got quite tiresome after a while.

Tonight's subject was female. She was tall, but not abnormally so. Her long, dark hair hung loosely over her shoulders and tumbled down her back. Dark brown eyes sparkled in the star light. Her figure was slender, showing that the subject took care to stay in shape. Her clothes were plain, a simple pink summer dress with a floral pattern. She had kids, though they had long since been put to bed. She was sitting on a bench just outside the front door, waiting for her husband to return from work.

It was a shame that he would never again return home.

The subject was quite shocked when she noticed the Messenger standing in front of her on the lawn. She gasped, her grip tightening on the wooden slats of the bench.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm a ...messenger of sorts." The standing woman said. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

The subject's eyes narrowed. "Bad news?" she said cautiously.

"Yes. Your husband, Miroku Kisumori, died tonight."

No immediate reaction. By the laws laid down by the Powers that Be, the Messenger was required to stay with the subject until some sort of response was given. She was required to stay here until the subject acknowledged that she got the message.

"How?" came the eventual response. The Messenger resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was having a delayed reaction. She'd have to explain what happened to the subject's husband. She hated that part too, though she couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for the girl. She looked young.

"It was a car accident. He was driving through an intersection and someone ran a red light. It was unavoidable."

"I'm sorry for your loss." She began to leave. The best thing about delayed reactions were that they never thought to throw something at you. That was nice.

"Who are you? Why are you saying such dreadful things?" the woman asked quietly. She had a right to know, the Messenger thought. She couldn't imagine what this must be like for the subject, a random stranger appearing in your yard and telling you that you were now a widow.

In the final moments before her departure, the Messenger gave her identity and occupation. It wasn't forbidden. "It's my job to notify the deceased's most cherished family member of their death. Though it is highly unlikely that we will see each other again, you may call me Kikyo."

In the house, the phone began to ring, and Kikyo disappeared.

**A/N: **Oh wow. Another Fic! This is a really short chapter... (Since this is a single chapter, this fic NOT a oneshot!) Well, you know what to do... Read and Review. (Please)


	2. Yellow

**The Messenger**

**Chapter 2**

By: Rachynn

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha.

**---This is the Start of the Chapter---**

Kikyo returned home. The first thing she did was plop down onto her oversized leather recliner. It was one of the few possessions in her apartment that she felt remote attachment to. Closing her eyes, she unconsciously fingered the long rip in the tan leather of the arm. The white stuff had begun to peak through and she couldn't resist burying her fingers in the fluffy softness of the material. She would have to get it sewn someday, she told herself absently.

As per tradition, she allowed herself to drift off for a few moments, letting the chair embrace her. She needed to relax after work and her chair was the perfect place for it. When she wasn't out and about being a Messenger of Death, Kikyo did try and live normally.

Well as normal as one in her situation could.

1) She herself was not 'alive' in the physical sense. She could vaguely remember having life as a human, but that time had been centuries ago. 2) She lived in a huge complex that served as living quarters and workplace to countless others like her, the living dead who worked tirelessly to keep the universe in balance, as well as perform menial tasks that had been in place for millennia. 3) Her only reason for being was to tell subjects that their loved ones had passed on.

Despite this, Kikyo tried to make a life for herself. She kept her apartment clean, and added a few homey touches (the chair and a couple paintings being the main ones). She tried her hardest to be friendly, but for some reason, most people tended to avoid her. Everyone tended to avoid Messengers. It was just how it was, nothing to be done. As a result, the few 'friends' she had were other Messengers. (Messengers as a whole tended to be a solitary breed, though mostly by circumstance not choice.)

The computer beeped. Yes, she had a computer; the Agency had aged with the times. Kikyo lazily opened one eye and glanced at the machine in the corner. The small blue box in the bottom right corner told her that she had a message. It wasn't often that she got emails, unless they were work related.

Kikyo slowly lifted herself from the chair. She padded her way across the wooden floor, bare feet creating the softest footsteps. Her apartment was small, consisting of a large room and a bathroom. (Since she was not alive, she had no need for sleep or food. The bathroom was merely an excuse to add more storage space.) The whole complex building had running water, electricity, heat, and cable. (Again it was a sign of the Agency aging with the times.)

She sighed when she slumped into the significantly less comfortable wooden computer chair. It was a few moments before she opened the new message however, one must ALWAYS begin a computer session with a quick game of solitaire. Kikyo quickly skimmed over the email, but paused before reading it again, resisting the urge to yawn.

Every week they emailed her a list of new subjects to visit. To her, it seemed that the list grew longer each time it came out.

A Messenger's work was never done.

**---This is a Scene Change---**

Tonight's subject was a teenage boy. The shrine at which he resided was dusty and overgrown with weeds. Kikyo was disappointed; few people had any respect for history and landmarks these days. She found the subject playing video games. Again she was disappointed. It was a beautiful day out, so why was he depriving himself by staying in the house all day? Things had changed so much since she had been alive, but that was only to be expected.

He must have sensed her presence when she appeared in the room, standing behind him. He didn't take his eyes off the screen, but called out to someone.

"Hey sis." He said, "Is that you?"

"No." Kikyo replied, stepping into his line of sight. "Though your sister is the reason I'm here."

The video game went on pause.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" he demanded, immediately jumping to his feet.

"I'm a Messenger, and I have a message for you about your sister."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't need crazy psychos in my house. I don't know what you're selling or who you are, but if you leave now I won't call the cops." He was edging closer to the shelf, slowly. He was going to have an immediate reaction.

"I'm not crazy. I'm perfectly sane." She replied. "Just listen to me, and then I'll leave. OK?"

He was almost at the shelf now. Kikyo took note of the vase on the end; it looked like it could be thrown a reasonable distance. There was silence for a few moments, so she assumed that he was going to let her leave her message. Oh joy.

"Kagome Higurashi is your sister correct?" It wasn't unheard of for a messenger to give the message to the wrong person, but it was rare. Sometimes it was better to make sure, if you were at all uncertain. He nodded. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but your sister died tonight. There was a fire at the library she was studying at and she didn't make it out."

_CRASH_

The vase shattered against the wall behind her. She turned her head around to look at the pieces that now littered the floor and the water that was seeping down the wall. If he had been aiming at her head, he was way off. If she had any substance in the human world, the vase would have hit her in the hip. However, since she was not human (though she appeared as such) the vase simply sailed right through her and continued until its inevitable demise.

She turned back to the boy, who was staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Well that wasn't very nice." She stated.

He screamed at her, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Angered that she had a vase thrown at her, Kikyo didn't stick around much longer, lest her anger get the better of her. The boy was still screaming when she left.

**---This is the Start of the Author's Note---**

I'm only writing this story until my writers block for Bread Crumbs (and to a lesser extent Awaken to Confusion) wears off. I can't decide to make this story AU or not… any opinions?

This chapter doesn't have much in it, 'cept that I FINALLY killed Kagome. I've been waiting for this for a long time, I must say. (I'm not a Kagome hater or anything, but … there is just something about her that bugs me. It's a shame the story didn't call for greater detail on her death.) I have a list of people who haven't died in any of my stories and it only has like… 2 or 3 people on it now. So sad…

School started Tuesday. It's possibly the joy of my life. Not! Sadly it's only the third day and already I want to smack people, and burn text books. It's the 3rd day and I spent 4 hours doing homework tonight. What is that? Teachers have no souls… (Which isn't true, but saying it kind of makes me feel better.) The new grade 9's provide endless minutes of entertainment though. So with the start of school, I have no idea how my writing/updating schedule will be affected. It could get better or much, much worse.


	3. Pink

The Messenger  
Chapter 3  
By: Rachynn

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Inuyasha

**---This is the start of the chapter---**

She was waiting. She had to wait for someone once every hundred years or so. Waiting occurred when she was ahead of schedule or the subject was behind. Since she could not relay a message without the subject being present, Kikyo did the only logical thing that any waiting person could do. She leaned back against the rough brick wall of the alley way and whistled.

It was a slow tune, very legato and quiet. She couldn't recall when she had first heard it, but for centuries it had been her favorite song. She had forgotten the lyrics a while back though, which was depressing. It would have been nice to be able to put words to the tune.

It was early morning. The sun was slowly climbing in the cloudless sky. She was standing in an alley, deep in the labyrinth of downtown. The aroma of the restaurant across the street filled her nose. It was some foreign cuisine restaurant, nothing she could recall tasting when she had been alive. The alley was almost deserted, except for a few stray cats, and a large mountain of garbage bags further down.

Sometimes she was grateful for a break, as long as it didn't put her too far behind in her work. Now was one of those times. She stopped whistling when someone else entered the alley. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his over stuffed red coat, he stared straight ahead, a purpose in his steps.

Here was her subject, 5 minutes past the estimated time of arrival. She stood up straight and stepped into his path. She must have startled him, because he stopped abruptly and raised his hand to his chest.

"Who are you?" He demanded in a harsh tone of voice.

"That's unimportant." she replied, in an almost equally harsh tone. "What's important is the news I have for you." She was standing directly in his path, blocking him from going forward. If he was going to run, he had to turn back the way he came.

He raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "News? Ya right, do you even know who I am?" His voice lost some of it's harshness, but not a lot. A baseball cap covered his head, and shaded his eyes to an extent. His puffy coat obscured anything that would have given away what kind of frame he had. He wore dark jeans and large white shoes. To her, he looked like a typical young adult of the age, nothing to special.

However, she did know who he was. Inuyasha Kerito, 21 year old waiter at a foreign food restaurant. He lived alone, made minimum wage and had a slightly higher than average fondness for ramen. His parents were dead, and he had lived most of his life in the care of his maternal grandmother, who had passed on recently as well. He still slept with a teddy bear. The list that she always got via email came equipped with very detailed profiles.

"I know who you are, I have to." She said, "It would be rather unfortunate if I got the wrong person. Very unfortunate indeed."

He gave her a strange look. "If you're wasting my time, I'm going to be very unhappy. What's this news that your talking about?"

"There was a drive by shooting last night. Your brother, Sesshomaru Kerito, was a rather unfortunate victim. I'm sorry for your loss." She stated simply. Over excessive dramatics while giving the message had gone out of style with the Messengers decades ago. With the booming population, more people dying, and dramatics were deemed too time consuming and dropped by many Messengers.

The subject stared at her blankly. "That's all?" he asked.

"Well...ya..."

"So. My brother is dead?"

"Yes."

"Can I go now?"

He didn't seem to care at all. At all. She could detect no reaction in him, this was a first. She had met people who had cared very little about the dead subject but they still had a reaction of some kind! What was going on. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You don't care?" she asked, rather bleakly. "This is strange. Why?"

"Um... I don't ever recall feeling any family affection toward my brother. Frankly, he's a piece of shit. Now he's gone, and the world is a better place." He stated this all with a calm face and steady voice.

She was immediately intrigued. An absent reaction was a first and she was a curious creature, as much as her job and life style would allow. He took a step towards her.

"Now are you going to move or am I going to have to push my way through you?" he asked. "I would really like to get home, I worked all night."

She moved aside, though had he kept going he would have simply walked right through her. He gave her a look as he passed, continuing his way down the alley. Stunning amber eyes locked with her own gray one's for a split second.

She was about to leave herself when she heard something that made her pause. The subject Inuyasha had made it to the other end of the alley. The slow tune that she had been whistling came floating back at her. She was surprised at the coincidence.

Perhaps he knew the lyrics? This could be worth checking out in the future.

Kikyo disappeared from view a moment later.

**---This is the End of the Chapter---**

**---This is the Author's Note---**

Dude another chapter. Yay. Not much happened in this chapter, but like I said, I'm not taking this fic too seriously. (Sorry) However, I do have a generally plan-esque kind of thing planned out for this fic... I think. Thank your for reading and please review. I smile.

Regarding _Bread Crumbs:_ I just got a new computer today. Imagine my anger and extreme disappointment when I found that the floppy I had saved all my fan fiction onto in order to transfer them to my new PC was rendered incompatible with said new computer. This includes the half completed FINAL chapter of _Bread Crumbs_. So tomorrow I have to go to school with the floppy, save all the fan fiction to my server space at school and then email it to myself. This could take awhile. I'm soooo sorry. To make things worse, I have to convert all my fics into a word pad or notepad document because this new computer DOESN'T HAVE MICROSOFT WORD and then send them. Blah, so much work. So little time. (I'm actually writing this chapter in a strange word processing program I found in the bowels of this computer.) CONCLUSION: I am halfway through the last chapter of _Bread Crumbs_. It is coming, do not worry. I just have to get it onto this computer and finish it. (I'm to lazy to rewrite the hole thing, sorry.) /end rant . Sorry for the caps lock.


	4. Green

**The Messenger  
**Chapter 4  
By: Rachynn

---

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha

---

Kikyo stood in front of the massive wooden desk that belonged to The Head with a placid expression on her face. It was rare that The Head of The Agency called upon her, let alone any other messenger, yet beside her stood all the other messengers in her department. In her mind, she was whirling with questions, but it was better not to question The Head.

"Many of you may be wondering why I called you here." The Head said, in a deep, thick voice that resonated around the room. There were some murmurs from the older messengers, the ones who had been with The Agency so long they forgot any other life that they may have lived. If this was strange for Kikyo, this was ever stranger for them.

"As I'm sure you have all noticed, times are changing. Nothing is the same as it used to be, and as a result, The Agency has had to change with the times."

This was true. The changes were evident no matter where you went in The Agency's Complex. Cell phones and computers were out for all to see, and everyone moved at the high speed pace that only ever seemed to increase.

"The unfortunate result of some of these changes is the closing down of a few of our departments. We have determined that the Messengers, being one of the smallest departments, and the most over worked, are going to be one of the departments to close down. No offense, but your work isn't essential to The Agency, or that of the human world."

There was a shout of protest from Eiji, one of the youngest messengers. He had always been a bit too brash and outspoken. Other messengers audibly gasped, but most remained silent. Given the nature of their job, Messengers knew to accept fate as it was and make the most of it. Some may be a little more vocal about it, but for the most part they had to accept it, they didn't have a choice.

"Excuse me, sir, but..." that was Karin speaking, a timid woman who rarely spoke. In the course of the one actual conversation Kikyo had had with her, she gathered that Karin was one of the oldest, if not the first, Messenger. "What will happen to us? Where will we go?"

The Head remained silent for a moment. He regarded the dozen messengers before him with calculating eyes. "We have found jobs for most of you in other departments." He gestured to a pile of folders on the right side of his desk. He named of eight of the Messengers and handed each of them a folder. "These are your new departments and job descriptions, we trust that you will find them to your liking and suitable for your skills." His tone allowed for now objections.

The Head was a strict, almost oppressive man, but he managed most of the Agency with a high level of efficiency and success, for most people his word was law. No many had the gall to question his authority.

Kikyo was not among those who received a file. She waited patiently as the re-assigned messengers flipped through their folders and slowly dispersed from the room. She waited patiently as The Head explained to the other three remaining Messengers what they were to do now with their 'life' (They were given the oh-so-desired task of Grower, and were now responsible for taking care of children who had died young. Said children had a tendency to be rather ... needy, and required a lot of attention. It was a task that would last them centuries.) Eventually only Kikyo was standing before The Head.

"What about me sir?" she asked, trying to make her voice clear and strong. She was saddened that the Messengers were being shut down, saddened that she would most likely never see her favorite, comfy chair again. "Am I to be reassigned as well?"

"Kikyo..." he said, folding his hands together on the desk. Something in his voice filled Kikyo with dread. "We tried as hard as we could, but we were unable to find another job that suited both your personality and your interests. After much debate, we came to the decision to release you to the human world."

Kikyo could not stop herself for gasping. "I'm going to be alive again?" she asked. It had been so long since she had been alive, but never once had she desired to return to life. She was quite happy to remain in this limbo of living dead. What was going to happen to her in the human world?

The Head laughed and she shuddered. "Don't be foolish Kikyo! You know that we can't bring people back to life! We are going to have you stay in the human world until a position that is better suited to you opened up. It should only be temporary, don't worry about anything."

"So I'm going to the human world, but I won't be alive?" she asked, greatly confused.

"Yes, you can think of it as a social experiment. We have arranged for a place for you to live and a small sum of human currency to start you off, but other than that you will be on your own. Of course, you will still be dead, and retain whatever powers and abilities that you have at that moment. However, you will have to keep whatever form you chose while you're there, so long as it resembles a human. Citizens of both worlds will be able to see you and interact with you, so you needn't worry about your friends here not being able to contact you."

All Kikyo could do was nod, she had no idea how to respond. "So I'm just going to be there...in the human world...until you can find something for me to do?" she finally said.

It was so unfair. Everyone else got to stay here, in their comfort zone, why did she have to be let go? What was so wrong with her that they couldn't just reassign her?

The Head nodded. He tossed her a folder that she hadn't seen before and she just caught it. A few more words and she was dismissed from the office.

She wandered the halls in a daze for a while. Eventually she tried going back to her apartment, only to find a couple of underling demons moving her stuff out. She didn't stick around long enough to see what happened to her armchair, or what became of her apartment. Kikyo found herself standing before a pair of huge glass doors. They were at least twice as tall as herself, and the physical exit from The Agency Complex.

With a sigh, she shoved the folder into her new 'backpack' and pushed open the door. Might as well start this chapter in her life soon. It might be interesting...


	5. Purple

**The Messenger**  
Chapter 5  
By: Rachynn  
---

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha.

---

Her new apartment was nice. It was located downtown, with a view of the harbor from her living room window. The streets were busy below her, but the sound was lost on its way up to the top levels where she resided. Inside her apartment, the walls were painted a bright yellow, with sea glass blue trim along the juncture between the wall and the ceiling and the floor. The wood floor was a light beige, and creaked when she walked on it, in a cozy sort of way. It had come fully furnished, couches, tables, rugs, a bed, appliances and her old computer. (Sadly she had no idea where her favorite armchair was) She had little use for the kitchen, seeing as she had not yet a need for sustenance.

She had been here for two and a half weeks. She had gone out a couple outside a couple of times, if only to wander and get a feel for the city. To tell the truth, she was becoming rather bored. Bored of waiting for The Agency to contact her, bored of the sickening bright walls. Bored of the not-so-amusing television shows that played constantly, with the exception of reality TV, a concept that intrigued her.

So today, she decided to 'eat out'. When she left The Agency, she took on a permanent human form that functioned the same way that a normal human body would. This wasn't necessary of course, she still could go days without food or sleep and not be affected in the least, but it allowed her to blend in with the normal population that much more. Her new body was solid, and all humans could see her as well. No more walking through walls or passing through crowds without so much as a single push or shove.

She pretty much had the city mapped out, and new exactly where she wanted to go. There was this cute little bakery just 10 minutes away. Wide windows covered the front wall, allowing for prime viewing of the boardwalk and waterfront where it was situated. There was something about the ocean that Kikyo was realizing she liked. She liked the way the waves lapped against the wooden pier, or the way that the boats rocked with some internal rhythm. It was very picturesque at the bakery, and she wanted to imprint it on her mind before she had to go back to The Agency.

If she ever went back.

The Head had said that this move was only temporary, but with each passing day she began to doubt him. She hadn't heard anything from the agency since she left.

Within a few days of her exile to the mortal world, Kikyo had discovered the need to obtain new clothes. What she usually wore when visiting the subjects was obviously too out-dated and too unfashionable to wear on a regular basis. As a result, Kikyo had had to dip into the stipend that the Agency allowed her and bought a few new outfits.

Now she stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom, twisting and turning to see how one of these new outfits looked on her. She had donned a knee length summer dress with a cheerful floral pattern on it. The short sleeves and bottom hem were ruffled. The dress itself clung to her form, a white satin belt at her waist contrasted the violet of the flowers in the print. Over the top she wore a thin, button up sweater with elbow length sleeves to maintain some decent warmth should it be a bit chilly out. The sky was devoid of any clouds though, and she heard on the news that it was expected to be rather on the warm side. Yet, in all her years of experience, she had learned that you could never trust the weather man.

Finally she was on the street, hands clutched tightly to the strap of a small black purse that hung from her shoulder. She was in a reputable neighborhood, but more subjects than she could count had been the innocent victims of muggings on the street and she didn't want to take any chances.

She wandered idly in the direction of the boardwalk and the bakery, taking her time, soaking in the environment that she had visited so many times but had never really experienced. A soft breeze drifted by lazily. She reached the bakery around 2 in the afternoon and bought a apple danish with a small peppermint tea. She found a vacant table next to the metal railing that kept people from falling off the pier into the murky waters of the ocean. She sat alone, of course, and began the experience of eating for the first time in who knows how long.

It was fairly easy, and the danish tasted delicious. It was a shame that she never got to finish it.

When she had sat down, she didn't notice the familiar face sitting at the table nearest her. She didn't think that anyone would recognize her in the mortal world, there were so many subjects nowadays that she never thought that she might run into one that she had personally visited. She was wrong.

She was halfway through the danish when a shadow darkened her view. Kikyo looked up at the intrusion, mouth half full of sweet pastry and eyes widened with surprise. A tall man with long black locks stood there, staring down at her.

"Never thought I would see you again." he said. "Are you here because of your dark job?"

Kikyo swallowed the danish and shook her head. "No." She said simply, brain scrambling to bring up any recollection of this man. "I'm surprised that you recognized me at all though, what was it, almost 15 years ago that I visited you?" her voice was sugar sweet, if not mocking. "Besides, it would seem that that job is behind me now." She gestured for him to take a seat in the empty chair across from her, which he did.

"Do you remember that day?" he asked her somberly.

She nodded. "Of course. One of the more tragic of my visits. I'm sorry for your loss."

"So you said back then."

"Are you angry with me?"

"Not as much as I was. I've learned that it's not the messengers fault. I am curious as to why someone like you would be here though. You seem as though your trying to fit in. Does the mortal world suit you?" His eyes twinkled.

"It's changed a lot over the years. Besides, I don't have much of a choice when it comes to trying to fit in anymore." she replied, taking a sip of her tea. She remember now. His daughter had died in a boating accident, and he had a rather disastrous delayed reaction. He seemed much more understanding today, as opposed to 15 years ago, when he tried to literally shoot the messenger.

He raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

She regarded him warily. There were very little rules when it came to revealing the secrets of The Agency to mortals, simply because of the time and care that The Agency took to cover their tracks. The only big no-no was to bring a living subject to the Agency Complex itself or to alter the time or death of a mortal for personal reasons. There was no reason why a mortal could not know of the existence of the Agency, so long they did nothing to alter that existence.

Kikyo made a quick decision, and began a rather hushed, very condensed version of the major recent events in her 'life'.

---

**Author's Note:** Most of my feelings towards this chapter will remain muted, and I will only say that I'm going to refrain from writing fan fiction (or original fiction for that matter) when I'm sick, in the future. Also, I have no idea where this chapter came from, seeing as this is not what I original intended to happen. You get three guesses as to who the random person is, and the first two don't count, and it's not Inuyasha. It was supposed to be, but then it all got switched around. -wails dramatically-

Anywho... This is my fun fic, it will go where it takes me... I've stopped making sense haven't I?

Oh yes. A HUGE THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has review. There was like... a whole jump in reviews since I last update. It's craziness... I'm so happy that people like this ficcy, seeing as I didn't expect anything at all to come from it. Now I'm a little afraid that I might start disappointing people with the crap-tasticness of what might be coming next...

Oh dear, I must return to sleep. Thanks for reading... review if you want to. (**I** want you to.) -hugs-  
Wait a second... no one died in this chapter... or the last. Oh dear, I'm loosing my touch.


	6. Orange

**The Messenger**  
**Chapter 6**  
By: Rachynn

* * *

Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

Over all, the afternoon had gone relatively well. Her danish lay forgotten as she relayed a very condensed version of the past few weeks to the newcomer at her table, Naraku. He listened, casually nodding his head at times, looking in her direction, and paying attention to her.

That was a nice feeling.

Afterwards, he invited her out to the art gallery that he had been heading to.

She stared at him, once he had asked her. Was he joking around?

"Really?"

He smirked. "Yeah, why not? It's a kind of a social get-together anyways, and it's expected to bring along a guest. You're lonely, so you should think about coming."

She didn't particularly like his blunt statement about loneliness, but did she have anything better to do? She hadn't thought of any plans past eating, and given her recent agenda, the rest of the afternoon was wide open.

There was silence as a cool ocean breeze wafted past them lazily. She felt her hair pick up and drift in the wind. Why not?

"When is this art gathering?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Around 6 O'clock tonight at the National Art Gallery. We have a private show room rented out just for the occasion. Who knows, you might have fun rubbing shoulders with the rich socialites and pondering boring, priceless art that a child could have painted."

She laughed. He made it sound as though the gathering was nothing more than a dinner party some close friends.

"Are you really inviting me just because I look lonely? Think about my position, you tried to kill me 15 years ago, and now you're inviting me out after meeting me again 20 minutes ago." She could hear the echo's of his cries in her mind, the gunshot as he took aim and pulled the trigger. Of course, it wouldn't work, couldn't work. She couldn't die, the attempt was futile. All the same, he had tried to shoot her, and that had a profound affect on a person's state of mind. Could you blame her for being slightly suspicious?

He didn't say anything for a moment.

"I'm not the same person who I was fifteen years ago. I had a lot of problems back then, and then you show up and tell me in that voice that was so god damn cold that my daughter was dead. You can't have expected me to be perfectly calm."

"Fair enough."

"Besides, my life is different now." He paused. "You don't have to say yes, I was just trying to help you feel welcome in a world that is obviously different than yours."

"So you'll pick me up around… what? 5:30?" she asked. She didn't believe him for a second, but she wanted to figure out what his real motive was. Maybe going with him to this human gathering would help her to figure out how his brain was ticking.

He disguised his shock at her easy turn around rather well. "5:30 sounds good. Where can I pick you up?"

"I don't live far from here, but how about we meet on middle ground? There's a park close to my house, we could meet there. It's the one with the huge willow tree's and the river running through it."

"Oh yes, I know that park. I'll pick you up at the gate?"

She nodded and smiled. She had been through the park numerous times. It had a twisting maze of rhododendrons and a slow running river that was shaded by beautiful willow trees. The ducks would swarm around anyone carrying a bag of food, quacking happily. She liked it there.

"I don't suppose that you have any formal wear?"

She raised an eyebrow. "So it's a _formal_ party at an art gallery? Just what sort of man are you, Mr. Naraku?"

"A unique man."

"Fine, keep some of your secrets. I'll pry them out of you eventually." It was a shame he wouldn't know just what she meant by that statement. He was up to something, of that she was sure. Now she just had to find out what.

She stood up and straightened her dress. "Well I've got four hours to find a nice formal dress for tonight. You'll excuse me Mr. Naraku?"

He folded the newspaper he brought with him and stuck it under his arm. "You forgot your danish." He pointed.

She looked at the half eaten, flaky pastry lying on the table and shrugged. It had tasted good, but suddenly it seemed so unimportant. "You can have it, I no longer need it."

"That's a waste, think of the starving children all around the world who would kill to eat a whole danish." He almost sounded like he was condemning her and mocking her at the same time.

"So give it to a starving child."

He didn't say anything, just stood there with his newspaper under his arm. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a red polo shirt; it looked almost nice on him. She kept herself from blushing. Never before had she thought to look at the clothes that a subject was wearing, or comment on how good or bad they looked. What was so different about Naraku?

She gave a final wave and disappeared down the boardwalk, in the direction of a dress shop she had passed the other day. Silently, she wondered what the events of tonight would bring about.

* * *

**_Author's note(s): _**Yes. It's a short update, but it's an update. Congratulations to the three people who guessed Mystery Man's identity correctly. Some of your guesses made me smile; by the way, which is a good thing, I need to smile more.

By the way, I hate Naraku's name. I keep spelling Naraky, instead of Naraku and have to go back and re-type it.

As for where this story is going, I might just have it figured out, emphasis on the might. If you're freaking out about the whole lack of Inuyasha-ness, I apologize, but I do promise that he will be along… later rather than sooner. It will be fun! If what I have planned, actually happens!!

I'm going to give a plug for my other story on the go "Trust Me". It's slightly influenced by a certain historical-esque manga (props if you can guess what it is, but to do that you'd have to read it), and Inu/Kag, something I haven't actually written in a while.

Also, if you CARE, I have a myspace. (Yes, I did sell my soul to that god forsaken site.) The link is on my profile page.


	7. Blue

**The Messenger**  
Chapter Seven  
Blue  
By: Rachynn  
Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

"Miss Kikyo?"

She looked up, staying her hands from stroking the soft fabric underneath her fingers.

"Will you be taking the dress?" the short, skinny shopkeeper asked her, an encouraging smile of her face. Kikyo looked at the dress in her hands. There were a multitude of frilly layers that eventually became one at the waist and turned into a twisting, silky strapless top. The fabric was dyed in a shade of deep green and lines of golden beads dotted the material.

Kikyo nodded slightly, indicating that she would indeed take the dress. She paid for it with the credit card left to her by The Agency and left with out commotion. The dress had cost a pretty penny, but she didn't mind since, technically, it wasn't her money to spend.

It was almost five O'clock. The hour of the party at the art gallery was drawing near.

Luckily the quaint dress shop she had found wasn't far from her apartment so she didn't have to walk very far to get home to change.

* * *

She dressed quickly, putting on the dress and applying a thin layer of lipstick. Sadly, that was the extent of the make-up she owned. She ran a comb through her hair and made sure it lay straight before grabbing her recently-purchased purse and heading out the door.

She knew she was a tad bit late. Her watch already said 5:30 as she entered the park through the tall, black wrought-iron gates. She set a brisk pace for herself and wove her way through the crowds (if the sparse scattering of people could be called that) with ease. It was turning a little chilly out as the sun began its descent into the horizon. She regretted not bring a sweater with her, but it was too late to turn back now.

The giant willow trees came into her sight and she slowed down a little. A distinguishable figure stood under the exact tree mentioned in their previous conversation. Her purse slider down her arm as she raised it to wave to him, and acknowledging their mutual presence.

"Miss Kikyo" he said when she finally reached him. "Fashionable late I see." A smile crossed his lips, one which she returned. He offered his arm, to which she respectfully declined. It was too friendly a gesture for someone she had only met a few hours ago. The look on his face showed that he seemed to understand.

"My car is parked by the gate; it's not too much of a walk." He told her.

"Alright" she said. She didn't mind walking; it both calmed and exhilarated her. At the Agency building, they didn't really walk, they more … hovered.

The drive was silent, almost to the point of awkwardness. The Top 40 radio station filled the gap with its tunes of both hip-hop and 'emotive rock'. They passed the tall skyscrapers and quaint bistro's of downtown until they broke free of the city's containing concrete walls and continued on a street bordered with pretty flowers and shrubberies.

"You must be a little creeped out by my invitation." He finally said. "I wont lie, I was a little surprised that you said yes." His voice cut though the chasm between them.

"I was a little shocked by your forwardness, yes. Though I thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to make a few "friends" or acquaintances while I'm here in your world. She replied, trying to sound friendly enough. "Thank you very much for the invitation though. I hope you don't mind me tagging along for the night."

He waved her off. "Why would I mind? After all, I did invite you. To be honest, I was just eager for some company, seeing as these things are boring as hell half the time. You'll probably be asking for an apology and the number for a taxi service before the night is half over."

She giggled. Occasionally, The Agency put on some formal get-togethers. However, you could imagine how enjoyable a function full of guest who had been dead anywhere from 10 to 10,000 years would be. In Kikyo's mind, this was definitely going to be more enjoyable than that and she told Naraku so.

"Well, I doubt it will be that boring… but you never know there's a first time for everything." She smiled, but otherwise remained silent at his remark.

Finally he turned onto a winding road that ended just in front a large building. It seemed to be made entirely of glass. She could see a gathering of people inside and a fair amount of marble staircases.

"Well, we're here." Naraku announced, before parking the SUV into a nearby parking lot.

Kikyo gingerly stepped out of the car. She straightened her dress with her hands, allowing it to fall free around her knees. She met Naraku on the other side of the car and fell beside him as they walked together towards the door.

"You look very nice tonight Miss Kikyo." He told her before getting the glass door.

She looked at him through mischievous eyes. She did realize that she looked better than normal, but never did she expect anyone to comment on her appearance. She smiled inwardly at the compliment. This was her night to try and have fun, to try and enjoy herself, to mingle among the humans like she was one of them.

"Thank you Mr. Naraku." She responded as they stepped into the lobby. "You don't look so common yourself." He wasn't wearing a tuxedo or anything, but something akin to it. The jacket was a faded black, along with the pants. Underneath he wore a grey collared shirt and a plain blue tie. His long black hair was tied partly back into a small pony-tail, though some front strands were left to hang down in the front.

He led her up two flights of stairs and down a hall to a gold covered door. Before opening it, he looked at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes…" she said, slightly confused as to why he was asking her.

Naraku opened the door and they both stepped into another world.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Oh my goodness, what is this, is this an update?? I do believe it is. Sorry guys, I know I promised an update before December, and I do realize it is almost January…. Dundundun, don't kill me. Any who... I was bored today and so I wrote something. This chapter isn't incredibly plot-shaking or anything, but I needed to get something up!

Merry (late) Christmas/Holidays, whatever. I am forseeing very slow updates in the future due to my evil homework, actually work, and then my new DDR Christmas present. YAY.

Review if you want. (It will make me happy.)


	8. Rainbow

**The Messenger**  
_Rainbow_  
By: Rachynn  
Standard Disclaimers Apply

Note: The two 'people' who appear in the first half of the chapter are the original creations of myself.

* * *

_"THEY tell us it is not our fault, bit really it is, because there is no one else to blame right?!"_

**"You are overreacting"**

_"I am not overreacting! How can you just sit there when you know this is going to happen sometime soon?"_

**"I bent my knees and positioned myself at such an angle so that when I lowered my bottom half, I made contact with the cushion of the chair and found myself in a seated position."**

_"…"_

_"You are infuriating sometimes. You realize this right?"_

**"I try my best."**

She kneeled in front of him and placed the palms of her hands on the tops of his knees. With pleading eyes she stared up at him.

_"Please be serious, just this once."_

**"…"**

**"I am being serious. It is our fault. However, there is no way to stop the outcome of our actions. There is nothing we can do, so stop getting worked up." **Pause. **"There is no point"**

_"Jerk."_

**"You know I am right."**

_"So, the biggest catashtrophe we have ever faced is coming upon us and you do not even care."_

**"I care. I am just not getting worked up over it."**

_"So we are supposed to sit back and watch other people suffer for our mistakes?" _The grip on his knees tightened.

**"It would seem so."** He ran a hand through her hair to try and calm her down. The grip loosened and eventually she rested her hand on his leg, her hands moving to wrap around his calves like they were an anchor.

_"But I like her." _She said sleepily.

He didn't say anything; just let her fall into a daze. She was so out of hand lately. Besides, what could they do now? It wasn't like they could simply unmake the problem and let life go on as usual. No, that was a solution too simple.

He shrugged. He could think about it later. He did have eternity.

* * *

The blankets felt like chains to him as he tossed and turned in bed. A layer of cold sweat covered his brow and dampened his hair. His nightmares were so vivid they seemed real. 

When he finally pulled himself from the dreamscape the smell of burning wood and flesh still lingered in his nose. With a groan he peeled the sweat-soaked blankets from his limbs, loosened the vice-like grip he had on Sir. Fluffsalot, his stuffed dog and stumbled out of bed. The nightmares had suddenly got worse about two and a half weeks ago and had remained a nightly harassment ever since.

He used to have the same horrifying dreams as a boy, but early on into his teenage years, they stopped and he finally had a few years of peaceful rest. It was always the same. He saw, heard and smelt fire all around him. There were people screaming in pain and in fear and the sound was coming from all directions, but there was always one voice that stood out amongst the rest.

_"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" _The feminine voice would call to him, and plead with him to come find her and save her. However, no matter how much she screamed, or how much anyone else shouted, he never saw anyone.

There were no people in his dreams. He would move through the flames unscathed and find no one. Their eerie voices followed him as he went.

In the end, the darkness came for him and tried to drown him, suffocate him until he screamed himself hoarse. That was when he usually pulled himself from the chaos.

Inuyasha stared at his reflection in the mirror of the bathroom. Dark circles painted the area under his eyes. His black hair, which he insisted on keeping cut long, was tangled in knots and pieces stuck out at unnatural angles.

"I need more sleep." He told himself, but he knew that it was useless. Every time he tried to sleep that dream came back to haunt him.

His brother had died, the crazy bitch in the alley on the way home had been right. He had tried to go to the funeral, but left less then a quarter of the way through in disgust. He had always hated his brother and the feeling had been mutual. He probably wouldn't want his younger half-brother contaminating the atmosphere anyways.

Inuyasha yawned. It was almost dusk, almost time for the late shift at work. Silently and quickly, he dressed himself and ate a large bowl of cereal. Then he left the apartment.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay for updates that have nothing to do with anything! Well, the events of this chapter kind of have something to do with something, but … I'm sure that I am the only person any of this makes sense to. Next chapter with have that party that Kikyo and Naraku are at, I promise. I'll force myself to write it, sometime before the summer.

If anyone is still reading the fic, thanks for sticking around, I appreciate the … readership. I recently skimmed over the last couple chapters, and realized that I didn't like the way I wrote them and started re-writing some parts in my head. Dundundun. So ya… might work on that in the future.

Also, a small note. Inuyasha, for the purposes of this fic, is human. No cute little dog ears for me this time. Sorry!


End file.
